It is said that “Sabbath keepers killed Christ”, “that it is not enough to keep the Sabbath”. Surely, it is not enough to “keep” Sabbath. This is not the words of God. Be careful of your words.
The truth is that they who by faith keep Sabbath holy, do so because they believe, the Spirit of the Lord is in them. The just shall live by faith. They that live by every word of God are filled with the Holy Spirit because they choose to live by faith—they receive God’s gift and they believe. They believe—spiritually and physically. They hear and do the word, by faith. They simply take God at His word, trust Him to do His word in them, for them, through them. Period.
The Pharisees and Scribes, and they taught of them, following them did not keep God’s Sabbath holy. They did not keep the commandments of God but kept the commandments of man. Surely, it was not enough for them to just “keep” Sabbath. They did not keep holy God’s Sabbath rest. They could not enter into God’s rest because of unbelief.
If we truly understand the sacredness, the importance of Sabbath, we will know that only a soul filled with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will keep Sabbath holy—these are the just that live by faith. These souls are abiding in Christ and His Word abides in them.
The one abiding in Christ, Christ abiding in the soul will by faith be kept by the power of the Holy Spirit—Christ keeps us from falling.
A soul may be so self-disciplined that they acknowledge Sabbath by religiously not doing certain things, and religiously doing certain things. This is not of God, not by Christ righteousness, but self-righteousness. The heart reveals the thoughts through words spoken, the countenance, the demeanor, the dress, the character not only in Sabbath, but especially throughout the six days prior to Sabbath. The soul’s true character is revealed at home. The true character is revealed in crisis. The true character is revealed where, and when one thinks no one is around that they know or that knows them. The true character is revealed no matter the soul may appear to be in the Lord because they appear to “keep” Sabbath.
NOTE: Keeping Sabbath is NOT keeping Sabbath holy by faith and by the power of God through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us—Christ mind in us.
How one lives throughout the six days prior to Sabbath reveals if one truly by faith keeps Sabbath holy. Only the soul filled with the Spirit of God, by faith living by God’s every word will by the Spirit of God keep Sabbath holy.
There is a difference between Seventh-day Adventist, or God’s people filled with the Spirit of God, living by faith; and the Adventist, people professing to be God’s people having a “name” only, doing lip-service.
Sabbath is God’s sign between Him and His people that He is the LORD our God, that He is the LORD that sanctifies His people.
Sabbath is the fourth commandment in the Ten Commandment law of God. Sabbath is the glue that binds all ten: Love for God, therefore, loving others as we love ourselves.
We must be careful not to make light of Sabbath, not to speak as if “Sabbath (the seventh-day) is just another day”. It is not “just another day”. God is holy. His holy presence is filled up in His seventh-day (Sabbath). Sabbath is as the holy ground on which Moses stood and God told him to remove his shoes off his feet; and the bush burned but was not consumed by fire. If Sabbath had been received and cherished, loved, handled with care, kept dear, etcetera; there would be no one sinning. Sabbath is the very holy presence of God filled up within His seventh-day. The day He blessed and sanctified, that He dwell among us.
Seek God for His Spirit, go through His Word and study through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Ezekiel, the Gospels, Hebrews, Revelation. That’s not even all the books.
NOTE: Keep in mind, be mindful as you study Sabbath, there are that which were sabbaths like the feast days—they were not the seventh-day (Sabbath) of God but were that which were to be observed holy as the seventh-day—Sabbath rest of God—His holy day. There is a difference. The sacrificial system, feast days attached or apart of the sacrificial system are the holy days, the sabbaths, the holy days done away with. Why? Because Christ became the Lamb, He was the ultimate sacrifice once and for all.
If we truly are living by faith, by every word of God, filled with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Christ righteousness is in us: His character is manifested in us, We will keep His Sabbath holy, we will be holy, we will live holy unto Him as we live the fruit of His Spirit; We will love Him, love others as we love ourselves. We will overcome sin. We will be in the first resurrection and live eternally in the presence of God Almighty, The I Am.
Be not deceived. Ask, seek, and knock for God’s Holy Spirit. He will give His Spirit to you if you just believe. The Spirit of God will guide you into all truth, and give you understanding.
Peace